RELEASE: REP. HILL VOTES TO SUPPORT VETERANS AND THE ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today released the following statement after voting for H.R. 8469, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027, which passed the House by a vote of 400-15. The bipartisan bill fully funds veterans' health care and benefits while securing critical investments that can be used for the Arkansas National Guard.

Rep. Hill said, "Our veterans and service members have earned every benefit they were promised, and it is Congress's job to make sure they receive it. This bill fully funds veterans' health care, protects veterans' mental health programs, and keeps faith with those who have sacrificed so much for our country. I am also proud that this bill gives the Arkansas National Guard a path to compete for critical infrastructure funding, including a new hangar and medical building our Guard members need. Taking care of the men and women in uniform and the families who stand beside them will always be one of my top priorities."

Background

H.R. 8469, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027, provides $469.49 billion in total funding, including $157 billion in discretionary spending and $329.9 billion in mandatory spending, approximately 3 percent above FY26 enacted levels.

Several of Rep. Hill's priorities were included in the bill:

• A pathway for the Arkansas National Guard to compete for funding for a new hangar and medical building
• Supporting efforts to address the unique challenges facing female veterans
• Funding for the VA Office of Enterprise Integration
• Support for the VA data governance and analytics efforts, which strengthen the VA's delivery of services and benefits
• Funding for VA medical services

Other key wins in the bill include:

• Fully funds veterans' health care at $138.2 billion, equal to the FY27 Budget Request
• Fully funds veterans' benefits, including $54.6 billion for the Toxic Exposures Fund to address toxic exposure-related needs, building off of the PACT Act
• Maintains mental health and suicide prevention programs relied upon by veterans
• Protects Second Amendment rights for veterans by prohibiting the VA from sharing veterans' information with the FBI without a judge's consent
• Prohibits the VA from purchasing resources directly or indirectly from China
• Provides $19.2 billion for Department of Defense military construction and family housing